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The Localism Act 2011 requires all councils to adopt a code of conduct which deals with the conduct expected of its elected and co-opted members when they are acting in their official capacity. The code of conduct is also required to include appropriate provisions relating to the registration and disclosure of pecuniary and other interests. The code for district councillors is set out within the constitution.

The code of conduct may not always cover a member’s behaviour in their private life. As there may be variations in the codes of conduct approved by the various councils in Devon, it is advisable to check the relevant council’s code of conduct to see if it applies to the particular circumstances. Apart from those very limited circumstances, the obligations in the code of conduct only apply when a councillor is acting, or giving the impression that they are acting, in their official capacity.

Making a complaint

If you feel that a councillor has breached their relevant code of conduct and you wish to make a complaint, please first review the Code of Conduct Complaints Procedure fully. Once you have reviewed the procedure, before submitting a formal complaint we would first encourage you to discuss the matter with the Monitoring Officer or a member of her team. This initial discussion will enable us to understand the basis of your complaint and advise you of
the process involved and what we will need from you to be able to proceed with your complaint. The Monitoring Officer can be contacted at

Email: monitoringofficer@eastdevon.gov.uk

Telephone: 01395 571688

Address: Monitoring Officer
East Devon District Council
Blackdown House
Border Road
Heathpark Industrial Estate
Honiton
EX14 1EJ

If following that initial discussion, you still wish to proceed with making a formal complaint, your complaint must be made to us in writing (as opposed to verbally). The Council has an online complaint form that should be completed to ensure that we have all of the information that we need to progress
your complaint. You can complete the code of conduct complaint form and email it to monitoringofficer@eastdevon.gov.uk.